A mink encounter

I told one of my faithful followers just recently that one reason why I continue with this blog is the feeling of anticipation of what I might see at the marsh. Well, today was a prime example of what I meant.

What I noticed first when I entered the trail was that the ice was completely gone. The warm temps of the last two days did it in. I was walking along, watching all the buffleheads out on the water, when I caught a movement just ahead of me on the side of the trail near the water. "Good," I thought to myself, "my first sighting of a muskrat for 2011." Well, it wasn't a muskrat as you can see from the above photos. The mink slipped into the water then swam toward the shore again, came out about three metres from me, moved along the edge past me, poking its head into holes, occasionally stopping to look at me, then retraced its steps and disappeared down a hole leaving its tail sticking out. Its appearance - and disappearance - may explain all the holes I have noticed along this stretch of trail, which I had attributed to muskrats. Although the mink could have taken over a muskrat's den, which often happens. One thing I have to get used to - they are primarily carnivorous, which means, although fish are at the top of their menu, it also includes waterfowl and muskrats.